What's Happening in Alabama

After weeks of combative rhetoric in public, Republican leaders are desperately attempting to convince newer members of the necessity of raising the debt ceiling. In an interview, Mitch McConnell said that Democrats “want to blame the economy on us, and the reason the default is no better an idea today than when Newt Gingrich tried it in 1995 is that it destroys your brand. It would give the president an opportunity to blame Republicans for the bad economy.” House Speaker John Boehner has reportedly been “aggressive” in pressing new members for a deal. It is not clear how much success the leadership is having. South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint said he plans to “use all the tools available in the Senate” to stop McConnell’s plan, which would allow President Obama to raise the ceiling without Republican votes. Some new Republican members say they’re not a bit concerned about reelection. “We came here to do something,” New York Rep. Tom Reed said.